Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 64, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 March 1917 — WHERE THE LABORER IS KING [ARTICLE]

WHERE THE LABORER IS KING

Already In Australia Building Trades Have a Working Week of Forty-Four Hours. - The day laborer, as opposed to the employer and to other workers, Is king in Australia. The unions, through ttje labor party, practically control the executive, legislative and judicial machinery .of the cities, the states and the CommohWeaTFh. ' Forty-eight hours is the recognized maximum for a week’s, work; but in occupations 44; 42. 4ft and even.. 36 hours are considered foil TiThe. the National Geographic Magazine observes. Some of the larger building trades have a 44-hour week, and it is probable that this figure will become the recognized standard of all labor. Of the “four sacred rights” is the original slogan, “Eight hours’ work, eight hours’ play, eight hours’ rest and eight bob a day,” only the portion relating to rest has been retained. It is interesting to note the definition of a living wage as formulated by the court of industrial arbitration of New South Wales in 1914: “The living wage is standardized as the wage which will do neither more nor less than enable a worker of the class to which the lowest wage awarded to maintain himself, his wife and two children —the a verage dependent family—in a house of three rooms and a kitchen, with food, plain and inexpensive, but quite sufficient in quantity and quality to maintain heftlth’hnd efficiency, and with art ,l -fertbwafl<?e l for the following other expenses Fuel/ clothes, furniture, utensils, rates, life insurance, savings, accident or benefit societies, loss of employment, union" pay., books and newspapers, train and train fares, sewing machine, mangle,- school requisites, amusements and holiday intoxicating liquors, tobacco, sickness and death, domestic help, unusual contingencies, religion or charity/